It's a great day here in Orem, Utah! The text for this edition of the MMM was not composed from the keyboard of my speedy laptop. Instead, it is being typed into a mini keyboard that my Pocket PC Casio E-115 Cassiopea sits upon. More on this little marvel later.
Talk about getting back into the trenches. I committed to a new relaxed work schedule at the beginning of the week that was not to exceed 11 inspecions and what do you know.... We didn't make it. That's right, holding it below ten was impossible when #11 for the week came calling. They couldn't wait until Monday. You know the scenario, the buyer is purchasing a 5,200 square feet 4 year old home that looks like ther are no major issues. Then out of the blue just before the inspection window is about to close the Buyers come to their senses and decide that they really do want to have an inspection after all. At this point the Agent is frazzled because they have been encouraging their clients all the way along to have it inspected and now the Agent Knows that it will be very difficult to get their Inspector of choice.
I was speaking to Jon Gudnason about this topic earlier this week and he said it is very easy for him. Jon just says NO! I find that really difficult when there is a lot of money involved and the home is the type of home that I prefer to inspect. It is easy to say No when the home is 100 years old and full of challenges for the minimal inspection fee. I would prefer that those homes go to those Inspectors cutting their teeth on this profession. I would prefer to inspect the large, well kept, and expensive homes.
This found me breaking my Post Cruise Resolution of not inspecting on Saturdays. To make it worse it was snowing Saturday morning on just the 23rd of September. Would you have said No? Or would you have said Yes? I have found many ways to rationalize our decision, but the bottom line is that I should have said "No" so that I could get the two full days off to recharge ny batteries and regain my health for the week to come.
"What are your thoughts? Would you stick to your guns and say NO???"
Your Name:
My "Go Ahead And Book # 11 On Saturday" Rationalizations
You can see the recurring theme of guilt running through the rationaliztions.
At long last I have received the mini keyboard for my Casio E-115. After searching through the market offerings I knew that this was going to be the winner solution..... No cables or added docking stations. For $79.00 directly from http://www.GOTYPE .com the dream has become the reality.
The drawback is that they do not also make this for the other CE machines like the iPaq or the HP. I spoke with GOTYPE and they did not have any immediate plans to produce the product for the other machines. I think they will reconsider as they get the feedback from the Casio users and they also here about the sales and projected future production numbers from Compaq with their hot iPaq.
I will share more information on the GOTYPE in the weeks to come as I thoroughly put it through its paces. Here is the initial opinion.....
POSITIVE - It is great. I can now leave the house without my laptop. I simply take my Casio, a work order, Service Afreement, and the GOTYPE. If the client shows up late I just plug the Casio into the GOTYPE and it just sits there waiting for me to type away. NEGATIVE - i need to get 3D to integrate some keystroke commands so that I don't have to use the stylus to advance to the next line. For all I know though the feature is there and I just haven't figured it out yet. RECOMMENDATION - If you own a Casio 100 series CE machine I recommend that you immediately order the must have GOTYPE accesory.
Information taken from the GOTYPE website......
GoType! Pro for Casio
The award winning GoType! Pro keyboard is for the Casio handheld PC's. Compatible with Cassiopeia models E-100, E-105, E-115 or E-125.
$79.95 - Now Shipping!
"It appears that LandWare's created yet another excellent product that's easy-to-install and simple yet highly functional. Thanks, LandWare!" - BrightHand
"The install was a snap, it has worked flawlessly as both a keyboard and a cradle. This was definitely well-designed and worth waiting for! Good job LandWare." - M.B.
System Requirements
· Supports the following Cassiopeia models ONLY: · E-100 · E-105 · E-115 · E-125 · Windows CE 2.0 or higher · 40K RAM
Includes software driver and GoType! Pro Serial HotSync cable.
Like the original GoType! keyboard, GoType! Pro for Casio does not require batteries or extra cables to operate and features a number of exciting new enhancements.
PERFECT COMPLIMENT TO THE CASSIOPEIA - GoType!'s rigid, field proven single piece design involves no complex moving parts and is unparalled in its fast setup time: Just open the protective hood, drop in the Cassiopeia and start typing. That's it. No additional cable hookup is required.
BUILT-IN SERIAL PORT AND AC PORT - GoType! Pro for Casio includes a serial port that enables direct desktop synchronization from the keyboard. This pass-through port also eliminates the need for an additional cradle when traveling. The keyboard ships with a cable to connect GoType! Pro to your computer. The keyboard also includes an AC port so you can use the standard Cassiopeia AC adapter to recharge your unit while it sits in the keyboard.
SILENT TOUCH TYPING WITH IMPROVED KEYBOARD LAYOUT - GoType! Pro now features dedicated Caps Lock and Num Lock keys and repositioned Cursor and Tab keys. The 2.3mm key travel coupled with generous key spacing and tactile feel greatly facilitates silent high speed touch typing.
FULL INTEGRATION WITH WINDOWS CE - GoType! Pro has been custom designed from the ground up for the Cassiopeia. The keyboard includes intelligent oftware which provides full compatibility with existing applications and allows you to access menu commands. Six function keys can be customized to provide one touch access to commonly used functions and applications.
NO CABLES REQUIRED - Just place the Cassiopeia directly into the keyboard's integrated docking connector and start typing. No additional cable hookup is required.
NO BATTERIES REQUIRED - The innovative GoType! Pro keyboard also includes a proprietary circuit design enabling it to operate with a minuscule amount of power. Real world tests show the organizer's battery life is virtually unaffected by regular keyboard use.
FULLY PORTABLE - Weighing less than 12 ounces, and measuring 10" x 4" x 1.5", the Patent Pending design includes an integrated protective hood that closes and protects the keyboard when not in use.
You will remember many months back when I shared a wonderful little program for the CE machines called FLIPPER. Flipper was the $14.95 program that made for quick switching between programs on the CE machines. If you have never used a CE machine then you will have a hard time relating to the frustration of those of us that do. When you are using 3D and you all of the sudden use the built-in voice recorder it is very difficult to get back to the 3D program (See the January 10, 2000 MMM for the related Flipper story). FLIPPER was the solution for this dilemna on the older operating system, but as of today they still have not updated the program to work with the new Pocket PC operating sytem. They promise a new version, but who has time to sit around and wait?.... Surely not I.
Now what are the options? If you have an HP you already have HP Task Switcher built in. iPaq's also have the QLaunch built-in. My experience with the QLaunch on the Compaq Aero was that I liked FLIPPER a whole lot better. I have found six other third party solutions, 2 of which look promising. The criteria for me was that the program should be easy to load, easy to use, and inexpensive
Compare this with the manual way to switch programs without these cool tools. From the START menu go to SETTINGS, then the SYSTEM tab, Then MEMORY and at long last you can select from the RUNNING PROGRAMS tab. From this location you can either shut programs off or switch to them. This is laborious if you use it to get from the voice recorder back to the 3D program.
Peter Drenan shared the following and I have no real way to verify the source of information..... It is very entertaining however.....
Hammurabi's Code of Laws
Back in early Mesopotamia, there was a guy named Hammurabi that spoke to the gods. Actually they spoke to him. Now these were pagan gods but their message was still a pretty good one – ‘Rules for Humans to Live By’. This is kind’a like the original version of the Golden Rule. Anyway, Hammurabi told everyone that the gods had chosen him to tell these rules, and he was going to lay it all out for everybody else. Hammurabi clearly liked being the center of attention.
So Hammurabi wrote his Code of Laws nearly 4,000 years ago. Perhaps the single most striking feature of Hammurabi's Code is its commitment to the protection of the innocent – the righting of wrongs. In Hammurabi’s own words... "That the strong might not injure the weak, in order to protect the widows and orphans... in order to bespeak justice in the land, to settle all disputes, and heal all injuries...”
All right – his style of prose doesn’t exactly roll right off your tongue, but he meant well. That being said, Hammurabi has some specific rules for Builders:
Rules Governing Contractors
Hammurabi would’ve been a Republican today. He was advocating fewer governmental regulations and clear consequences. He wasn’t telling the builders how to build. “You guys build any way you want to” he was saying, “But here’s how were gonna measure the house once its built.” You can be sure that builders in the times of Hammurabi didn’t build a house that would just barely stand up. Nope. You can bet your last shekel those houses were built to last.
In today’s world we talk about houses being built ‘to Code’. It’s supposed to mean that it’s a solidly-built house. In reality in means that the house meets the minimum requirements that a builder can get by with. Today’s Codes are arcane, difficult to read and subject to wide varieties of interpretation – ironically they all deal with minimum standards. Today’s Code tries to describe the nuts and bolts of every structural system, mechanical part and infrastructure. Instead of describing the outcome, now we try to describe the process of construction – usually failing miserably.
Now, I’m not actually advocating a return to Hammurabi’s Building Code – we’re more civilized now. Besides, we have too many lawyers these days. But what would our houses look like if they were built to Hammurabi’s simple and demanding guidelines? You can be sure that there would be fewer builders making fewer mistakes.
You can bet your life on it! As an added benefit, we also wouldn't need home inspectors anymore.
Peter Drenan - Central Virginia
Last week's photo displayed some great third world power drops. Richard Grisham took the time to document the following....
Michael: Installations like these are common in "third world countries." Looks like two sets of wires going down inside the masthead pipe, but you cut off the bottom of the picture and we can't see if there are two different meters coming out at the bottom.
I had occasion to review a few of my older files of 3 or 4 years ago and, to tell the truth, I was really hard pressed to figure out what was going on, why the pictures were taken, and what I was trying to show, in most of the photos. Which brings me to a "veracity" about taking pictures. At the time you take the photo your mind not only records the photo, but all the ancillary images that are off to the left, right, top, bottom, in the front plane and rear plane, and, yes, in the shadows that don't even record on the film (digital plane). It is this mindset that fools us into believing that what is in our "minds eye" must certainly be in the "eye of the beholder." It's right there in the photo - isn't it?
Is that a face I see in the shadows? Richard Grisham - Las Vegas, NV
Betty Buckley passed along this link regarding the ABC story on FHA Appraisals and the need for real Home Inspections. It can be found at..... http://www.abcnews.go.com/onair/GoodMorningAmerica/GMA000919Money_Pit_feat.html
Sept. 20 — Your home is probably the largest single investment you'll ever make.
Your dollars and your dreams are all tied up in a piece of property. That’s why it’s amazing that many people don’t bother to hire a home inspector to check out their dream home.
Even fewer hire a lawyer to be on their side. Many of these inexperienced first-time home buyers take out mortgages backed by the federal government so they think Uncle Sam is looking out for them.
Good Morning America’s consumer correspondent Greg Hunter says that faith in the government may be misplaced. Dennis and Jonna Freeman bought their dream home in Tullahoma, Tenn. But just a month-and-a-half after they moved in, their dream was condemned.
Dream Home Gone Bad - In New York City, Lisa Smith fell in love with a house in Queens. But she had a rude awakening. It began with a hole in the dining room floor, which had been disguised by a carpet. Whether you’re in the North or South, in a big city or small town, you’re at risk. Lisa Smith and the Freeman family have one thing in common — they both failed to get home inspections.
Instead of the American dream, they both wound up with a disaster. Dennis Freeman, a former Marine, and his wife took advantage of a veterans program that helps veterans buy a home. After moving in with their boys, Zachary and Chase, they discovered that the floors seemed weak. “I just can’t believe this has happened, it’s our worst nightmare.” Jonna says. Engineers who later inspected the property say years of moisture collecting under the house caused severe structural problems.
Hunter went in the crawlspace underneath the Freeman home to take a look at the problems. He found muddy soil, vines growing, black mold and rotten wood. He found beams so rotten that in one spot the floor flexed like a diving board.
The Freemans didn’t find out about this until after they bought the house because instead of hiring a home inspector, they relied on the Veterans Administration appraiser to catch any problems. The VA says appraisers are supposed to make sure the property meets minimum requirements.
“Those minimum property requirements are designed to assure that the property is safe, sound and sanitary,” says Keith Pedigo of the Veterans Administration. “The appraiser, however, is not required to do an in-depth inspection of the home. That is a function that is carried out by home inspectors.”
Moving Out and On - While the VA says it encourages buyers to get a home inspection, as with conventional mortgages, it is not required. The city of Tullahoma has now condemned the house. The Freemans are living in a rented house, in the same neighborhood, because they didn’t ask for an inspection.
The VA says it’s working with the Freemans to avoid foreclosure. But now the family doesn’t want anything more to do with the house. The VA may take it back, and the Freemans will eventually be able to buy another home.
In New York City, Lisa Smith bought her first home with a mortgage backed by the Federal Housing Administration. “Like a month after I moved in the house I had water coming out the fixture here and right onto my bed,” Smith says.
There was mold and rot in the basement of Smith’s house, the furnace broke down and the sewer backed up. Like the Freemans in Tennessee, Smith had failed to have her home inspected.
“We think that everyone ought to get not only an appraisal but a home inspection as well,” says Matthew Franklin of the FHA.
In its literature, the FHA encourages home inspections. But a series of FHA commercials on television right now focus on the appraisal and they’ve come under fire. “I think that commercial is an example of deceptive advertising at its very worst, and here it is sponsored by the federal government,” says Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine. Collins, who has been critical of the FHA, says the ads give ill-informed, first-time home-buyers the false impression that they don’t need an inspection.
The FHA denies the commercials are misleading. It says they simply promote its recently beefed up appraisal process, which gives buyers more information about a house than Lisa Smith got. Whatever improvements the FHA has made now, they’re too late for Smith. After dealing with $20,000 in repairs, facing foreclosure and ruined credit, she gave up and moved back into an apartment. The FHA says it’s working with Lisa Smith to avoid foreclosure in her case and take the house off her hands.
This story was produced by Good Morning America’s Greg Hunter and Andrew Paparella.
Bill Schwahn has a great story to share involving this photo. He sent me the crib notes, but maybe this week he can compose some detailed story line thoughts so that we can learn from a potentially expensive oversight. By the way, can we be drawn in to expensive litigation even if the topic in question is beyond the scope of a Home Inspector's normal evaluation???
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